Encouragement

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Seasons come and go. For those of us who suffer through the extreme heat of summer only to long for
warmth a few months later, we know this all too well. If we don't like the weather today, it isn’t long before the more temperate climate returns. Unfortunately, this is true for bad weather, as well. It returns much quicker than we would like. But there was a time when the seasons did not change. Before mankind's fall into sin, there was only spring – no hot summer and no frigid winter. The seasons we now experience, necessary for the death and rebirth of nature, were not in place in the original paradise. There, it was always 72 degrees and sunny.
In fact, the original couple needed no clothes to protect their bodies from harsh elements or from the shame of nakedness. The first couple was as perfect as their climate. There was no regret, fear, nor guilt. Nothing wrong had ever happened to cause one to blame the other.
This beautiful state of existence began to fragment when a certain snake showed the first woman a piece of fruit. The man joined in her rebellion and a legacy of accusation, self-reproach and shame was born. Not only has this wretched heritage since continued to thrive, it's been picking up momentum enslaving each succeeding generation with increasing feelings of inferiority, self-pity, isolation and withdrawal. But there is an answer to this cynical cycle of shame.
There was a king in our spiritual bloodline who continued in this succession of sin, but was also able to fracture the destructive bond of guilt, thanks to God's overwhelming grace. After stealing another man's wife, David was unable to conceal his infidelity, so he turned to more desperate means. He had the husband of Bathsheba killed so he could marry her before she gave birth to an illegitimate son bringing shame on his God, kingdom, reign and his personal reputation – in that order. Although David’s scheme worked to hide his indiscretion from the nation, God would not allow the repressed transgression to develop into a toxin of self-loathing bitterness in His treasured son. In inexpressible love, God sent Nathan to expose David's selfish deed, for the sake of justice, but even more for the sake of David.
Most likely, David found it difficult to feel God’s affection while being called out on the carpet by the prophet. It’s doubtful, he contemplated God’s mercy much during the agonizing night he spent pleading for the life of his son, which was the price his crime, but in the end, David confessed his sin in humility. He could have responded with a prideful defense of his actions, but he did not. He admitted his guilt, took his lumps and continued as the favored king of God’s chosen nation. Confirming that both David and Bathsheba were forgiven, soon God blessed them with Solomon who became one of the greatest kings ever known.
In his book, “Search for Significance”, Robert S. McGee explains, "Certainly God could have brought Solomon into the world another way, but perhaps as a message to us, He chose Bathsheba. What a message! Confess your sins, worship God, and get on with your life. You can experience the mercy of God no matter what you've been through." Most of us haven’t tried to get away with murder, yet we carry our sin and shame around with us like we did. Get over it! Because of Jesus, God has.
In his letter to Titus, Paul wrote, "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7). This explains a result of Christ’s death commonly called regeneration. Our trust in Christ alone, makes us new creations washing away all of our defects, which thoroughly enslaved us, such as pride, lust and hate. The Holy Spirit is given to us generously, as much as needed, in order to make us completely whole. We lack absolutely nothing!
Along with this, we are given everything achieved by Christ: God’s favor, mastery over death, freedom from condemnation, perfection and even the very kingdom of God. We personally possess everything Jesus has! All of these things will become more real to us in the future when Christ comes again, but they are ours now by faith and are secured by the Holy Spirit. Paul confirms this saying, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-15).
No one likes to be unclothed and laid bare exposing all our imperfections to the world. It can be even less desirable those who know us well to peer right through us. We find it extremely difficult to risk rejection and judgment for our less than standard performances, or to risk being blamed for our mistakes, which have caused pain in others.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way. As Paul explains, “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:2-5).
The dirty, filthy clothes we used to wear have been removed by Christ’s death, but that does not leave us naked. Instead, we are covered by a heavenly tent, so that which is momentary, as are our mistakes, sins and failures, may be consumed by the purpose God has for us: life with Christ forever, This means, we don’t need to hide from others while we punish ourselves on the inside. Even at our worst, we are never naked. We are clothed with immortality, and that means sinless perfection attained for us by Christ. It’s not fair that we wear such a brilliant covering, but we wear it by faith alone.
Feelings of condemnation will come and go like the four seasons, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are new creations in Christ, once and forever. It happened when we believed in Christ, not before and not after. It didn’t come before His all-sufficient efforts, and it does not come after any of our insignificant ones. We believe. We are sealed. It is done! Now we wait to possess an amazing inheritance. Who has time to maintain regrets, to foster blame, or to feel ashamed? It is finished! Go, and love well!

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